Shards
by mirrorsound
Summary: How could I express to Rin how much it hurt? How could I tell her I forgot how it felt to be woundless after over a year of dad's beatings? How could I show her his marks; the shredded flesh, the bruises, the scars, the damage that long since shattered me beyond repair? And how could I convey to her how much I appreciated my wounds, knowing every blow I received was to protect her?
1. Birth

The somber family gathered in the hospital ward, faces grim. A variety of decorations embellished the room- cheerful get-well cards, colorfully patterned balloons, bouquets of wilting daisies, boxes of perfectly wrapped chocolates and other sweet confections- but these did little to cheer up the room's inhabitants. They all focused their attention on the cot at the center of the intensive care unit, and the patient lying in it.

The woman was in her early forties, but her sickness had long since worn her body out to a depleted, fragile state. The translucent plastic mask of a breathing apparatus covered her dry pale skin. Her scalp was bare except for a few tufts of short blond hair; one of the side effects she received from the chemotherapy used to treat her case of leukemia.

The doctors had already reported to the woman's family that her pulse had already flat-lined twice that day. They stood in breathless apprehension, refusing to believe that this may be the last day of her life.

At one side of the bed the woman's husband held her hand in a gentle grip, trying to restrain the tears that threatened to spill across his cheeks. He refused to accept that it would end like this. He wanted talk to her just one more time, he wanted to express the love for her that he felt no words could ever truly display. No, it couldn't end, not after all the two had been through together...

Flanking the other side of the woman's bed were her children, two twins at the age of twelve. They had always been her biggest pride and joy, and she had always expected to live long enough to watch over them as they forged their own lives.

The girl twin was grasping her mother's hand, trembling at the thought that today would be her last. Her shoulder-length blond hair swayed with each shiver that racked her body, and the white hair bow that rested atop the young girl's head drooped, as if it had feelings of its own.

The son looked very similar to his sister, with the same sandy blond hair and short stature. He had his hair pulled back into a sloppy ponytail, with his disheveled bangs hanging loose and sticking out at unusual angles. His soft sky-blue eyes brimmed with endless tears, and he held a clump if tissues to his nose, not even bothering to hide the emotions he was normally so good at concealing.

Nurses ran around them in a frantic frenzy, trying to effectively juggle the tasks that would keep their patient alive. Suddenly the beeping of the heart monitor subsided and was replaced with a prolonged wailing.

"It stopped again! Someone, prepare the defibrillator!" a one of the nurses yelled out desperately.

"I'm on it!" a male nurse yelled, switching on the contraption and pressing the paddles to the woman' s chest, attempting to jump-start her heart.

No result.

Again, he tried.

Again, nothing.

He sucked in a breath. "C'mon, just hang in there," he mumbled, pushing down one final time.

Not even one beep. Her heart finally rested for good.

Everyone stood in shock, quietly mourning the loss of life. No one dared move, or talk, or even let out the faintest wisp of breath. They all just stared at the heart monitor, praying that a miracle would somehow bring the lost patient back. Their prayers went unheeded.

" No..." the husband's strangled voice finally broke the silence.

The frozen staff suddenly thawed and began speaking words of comfort and sympathy. The husband ignored them completely and continued to still stare forlornly at his lifeless wife.

The trembling daughter burst into tears, the scene that she had just witnessed playing an endless loop in her mind. The son, who had already been crying, started to sob harder.

The girl slowly pried her hand away from her deceased mother. She turned toward her twin, and he halfheartedly held out the box of tissues he held in his hand for her to use. She stared at the box for a while, making no move to take it.

"..." She stared at him with sadness brimming in her eyes.

"It's okay, I don't need them all," the boy coaxed in a voice hardly above a whisper.

"..." Her sobs increased. She was sniffling violently, yet made no move to proceed with her brother's offer.

Suddenly she threw her arms around him, hugging him as she cried. She desperately wanted some sort of comfort to fill the suffocating emptiness she felt squeezing her heart.

The boy stood a bit awkwardly for a moment, staring through his tears with a confused expression, unsure of what to do with his sister that so suddenly intruded on his personal space. He finally lowered his arms and rested them around his sister's shoulders, deciding to accept the warmth that he needed as much as her.

The father was still staring at his wife's frail form, and the immense sadness that resided in his heart only grew. Nothing mattered to him now that the love of his life was so cruelly snatched from the earth. He no longer cared about his own life- or even his children's lives. Without his wife he was nothing.

Unbeknownst to his two children, their father's sadness reflected their own, multiplied tenfold. The pain he felt was like nothing he ever experienced before; even the severest physical wounds paled in comparison to the emotions that stabbed so mercilessly at his heart.

The day his wife died was also the day this gentle, virtuous husband died. In his place stood an empty husk of a man.


	2. Len: Dread

**Len Kagamine**

Friday afternoon my classmates are always buzzing with excitement. Five minutes before the final dismissal bell, they're sitting on the edge of their seats, chewing their lips anxiously and staring at the clock as if the second hand had hypnotic powers. To them the weekend was their compensation for all the hardships and homework they encountered throughout the school week, a break to relax and do whatever they wanted.

Unlike them, I dreaded the weekend.

My physics teacher was still droning on about who-knows-what during the last minute of class, completely oblivious to the fact that all his students were ignoring him. I tried to quench the flurry of apprehension that was pitted in my stomach.

The shrill bell resonated through the classroom, and the hallway flooded with students. Our teacher dismissed us, and, hastily shoving my textbook into my backpack, I filed out the room with the rest of my peers.

I struggled through crowds of people, weaving and squeezing my way out the main entrance of Yamaha High School. The crisp autumn breeze bit through my sweater, tossing a flurry of amber and leaves in the air. My eyes scanned the bustling school campus for any sign of my friend. She was always late.

"Hi Len!" a high-pitched voice greeted. I turned to see a girl with long teal pigtails swaying wildly as she walked toward me. She wore a rosy pink skirt with thin strands of red ribbon that laced through the bottom and tied off into bows at the sides. Her shirt was a simple white sleeveless top, and her pigtails were tied up with pink ribbons into bows that reminded me of my sister.

She looked cute, as usual. Not that I cared or anything.

I waved. "Hi, Miku."

She smiled brightly, "So, how was school today?"

"Okay, I guess."

"That's good," Miku said simply. "Oh! Guess what happened in gym class today!" she giggled, apparently recalling something she thought amusing enough to share. "So, today we were playing dodge ball, and I ended up on the team with all the athletic kids..."

She rambled on about the game, her mouth moving so fast that I could barely understand her. Miku was a chatterbox, which was probably the only reason she got along with me.

"...And then Piko threw the ball and hit Kaito on the face!" She burst into a fit of giggling. "And then fell flat on his back and I was like, 'Bakaito. I thought you said you knew how to catch!'" Her giggling fit which lasted so long that I couldn't help but crack a faint half-smile at her carefree attitude.

When her laughs died down, she dropped down onto the school lawn, sitting in a crossed-legged position. "So, isn't your sister walking home with us today?" she asked.

After a moment's hesitation, I lowered myself onto the green field of grass beside her. "Yeah, she should be here soon." Rin had a job at a nearby restaurant, and she recently switched her Friday afternoon shift to Sunday evening. She said it was because she thought she would get more tips on Sunday, but I knew her main motive behind the rescheduling. And I was thankful.

As if on cue, a petite girl with shoulder-length blond hair pushed her way out of the throng of students, the white bow that rested on her head hanging slightly crooked. "Mikuuuuuuu!" Rin tackled Miku into one of her infamous bear hugs. "I've missed you so much~!"

Miku let out a light laugh, "I've missed you too! It's been, like, a whole day since I last saw you! Do you know how torturous the wait is?"

Rin pulled away, feigning insult. "Why, Miku-chan! You sound sarcastic!" She latched onto my arm. "At least Len still appreciates me! Right Len-kun?"

"Maybe I would appreciate you more if you didn't call me Len-kun."

Rin stuck her tongue out at me. "Fine then. I'll just have to walk home without you ungrateful people!"

She slung her school bag over her shoulder and skipped to the cement sidewalk that led to the street, humming a happy tune under her breath. Someone was in a good mood today. "...You think we should bother following her?" Miku asked.

"Probably," I responded. Who knew what trouble Rin could cause if she went alone?

We caught up with Rin and walked home together. It was almost like a tradition, the three of us banding together for our daily journey, though Rin was often absent. Miku and Rin continued to gossip about daily school drama, a conversation that I didn't intend to join.

In a couple minutes we were walking through the Miku's neighborhood, a cozy environment with well-trimmed houses and (mostly) friendly people. Soon we were standing in front of Miku's house. "Bye Rin! Bye Len! See you tomorrow!"

"You mean Monday," Rin called after her.

"Whatever." Miku climbed the front steps and eased the front door shut behind her, leaving Rin and I alone.

The modest houses soon gave way to dilapidated buildings and potholed pavement, a sign that we were nearing our house. We lived in the slum of the city, a neighborhood notorious for its excessive amount of crimes. We moved here a little less than two years ago after dad first lost his job.

I hated living here. Whenever Rin walked home by herself, which was nearly every school day, I always feared the worst for her. If anything ever happened to Rin I would never forgive myself.

We used to live in a normal neighborhood when we were younger, when mom was still around... No, Len, don't think about that. Those days are long gone, there's no point in dwelling on the past.

We walked on in silence, and the closer we got to our house the more edgy I felt. "Len, are you okay?" Rin looked at me, her expression full of concern.

"Yeah..." My answer came out shakier than I meant it to be, which only caused Rin to worry more.

"You know, we could do something, like, I don't know, go to the library or something, instead of going home right away, you know, because Dad'll be home soon, and you know how he gets, and he wouldn't see you, and, and-"

"No," I cut off Rin's rambling. "Really, Rin, I'm fine. Besides, that'll probably just make dad mad."

"Oh," she mumbled, "…right."

I flashed her a reassuring smile. "You don't have to worry about a thing. I can handle it," I told her, sounding more confident than I felt.

"But-"

"So, how did Miki and you do on the History presentation today?" I interrupted, attempting to change the subject.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, our teacher said he really liked it! He called it 'A-plus material' and said he was going to use it as an example next year," Rin said, though the lack of emotion in her tone made it obvious that her mind was elsewhere.

"I knew you'd do great! You're my smart little Rin-chan," I said, playfully tousling the hair on the top of her head.

She slapped my hand away and puffed out her cheeks in indignation. "Don't hurt my bow! And don't call me Rin-chan!" The usual cheerful sparkle returned to Rin's eyes, which made me glad. I hated to see Rin worried.

I laughed, "I didn't know bows had feelings."

"Well now you do," she stated a-matter-of-factly, reaching up to straighten out her hair ribbon. "They are very sensitive and delicate creatures. Always treat them with respect, and they won't harm you."

"Yeah, when a ribbon attacks you're as good as dead."

She giggled, "Or I can just use it as a gag to shut up my annoying brother."

"...Not if I get it first!" I grabbed at her bow, and she ducked, narrowly avoiding my grip.

"Hey!" She ran, both hands covering her bow. I chased after her, both of us laughing at our own childish antics. That is, until we reached view of our house. We both stopped dead in our tracks, and I felt the dread from earlier return. A dented, old red minivan was parked in our driveway.

Rin spoke first. "I guess dad is early today."

"...yeah..."


	3. Rin: Chained

**(There are some swear words in the following chapter. Just a warning to any sensitive readers.)**

**Rin Kagamine**

I stepped inside our house, and I immediately was engulfed in the foul stench of alcohol.

Yep. Dad was definitely home.

I slipped off my sweater and Len silently took it from me to hang on the coat rack. "Thanks," I murmured.

"No problem," he whispered back. Gripping one of the straps of the school bag slung over his shoulders, Len exited the cramped hallway and entered the adjacent room with me following his footsteps.

Dad was sitting on the living room's tattered couch, watching a sports channel on the widescreen TV that somehow appeared in our house a month ago. Empty beer bottles littered the side table.

We walked through the room, and it seemed like dad, in his drunken stupor, didn't notice that we were home. Or, if he did, didn't care. We almost made it to the kitchen doorway when Dad spoke.

"Hey kids," he said in a slurred pronunciation, not even bothering to look away from the game. We stopped, and I noticed Len stiffen and grip his bag tighter, so hard that his knuckles turned white.

"Hi Dad," I responded.

We stood their mutely for a minute, wondering if we were supposed to leave the room or stay. Dad never spoke unless he wanted something. Maybe he was in a good mood today. I hoped so…

Len, accepting the silence as a dismissal, edged his way toward the kitchen. "Where are you going, Len? Aren't you going to say hello to your own father?" Dad's disoriented voice rang out in a taunting tone, as if daring Len to leave without greeting him.

Len stopped and dropped his gaze toward his feet. "Hi," Len practically whispered. I could barely hear him, and I was standing beside him.

Dad, apparently missing Len's quiet response, turned around and stared at him expectantly. "Well?"

Dad's bloodshot eyes bore into him, causing Len to shrink back even more. "H-Hi," he said, slightly louder.

Dad smiled, savoring his intimidation on Len. "Fetch me some ice, will ya? My drinks are getting warm."

So much for dad being in a good mood.

"Y-Yes sir." Len spun around and hurried out of the room to find some ice.

I stood there a moment longer. "Can I go?" I asked when dad turned back to the TV and said nothing to me.

"Huh? Oh, yeah." He waved his hand in dismissal and I hurried into the kitchen to help Len.

Len was rushing around in a panicked frenzy, hastily washing a cup from the stack of dirty dishes that had been growing on the counter for some time now. "I'll find the ice cubes," I offered.

"Thanks."

"Hurry it up in there!" Dad yelled, growing impatient. We had to hurry up or else dad would get mad at Len…

I opened the freezer, only to hear a deafening snap. Piles of packaged food and TV dinners cascaded to the floor. "Ow," I muttered as a particularly heavy object smashed my foot.

Len finished towel-drying dad's favorite glass mug and placed it on the counter. "Are you all right?" He glanced over his shoulder to find heaps of freezer contents littering the floor. "Crap, the freezer shelf broke again!" Len pushed me out of the way and knelt down, starting to pile the frozen confections back on the intact shelves.

Hearing the commotion from the other room, Dad grew agitated. "Stop fighting about whatever, you two! Just bring me my damn ice!"

"S-sorry," I whispered to Len. "I was trying to help…"

Len sighed, finally pulling out the ice tray from under a bag of frozen broccoli. "It's alright." He patted the top of my head to show he wasn't mad and stood up. I resisted the urge to tell him off for hurting my bow again, but now wasn't a good time. I stayed sitting and attempted to clean up the mess I created.

"Where the hell is my f*ckin' ice?"

Len hastily cracked the ice cubes into the limpid mug. Drooping his head down so that his disheveled bangs shadowed his eyes, he walked into the living room where Dad waited expectantly.

Why did Len always act that way around Dad? Didn't he realize it only fed Dad's incitement?

"About time! Come here boy," Dad's drunken voice was stern. I recognized that tone, and tried to concentrate on shelving the fallen food, bracing myself for what I foresaw coming.

_Crack!_

The sickening sound of skin striking skin. I stiffened; just because it was a sound I heard frequently didn't make it any easier to listen to. I shut my eyes tight, as if impairing my vision would also obscure my hearing.

_Crack!_

It was like those old-time action movies, with the cheesy sound effects inserted in fight scenes, except this sound was more muffled and easy to miss. And the pain was real.

_Crack!_

Len never said a word whenever this happened. I don't know he managed; if that was me I'd probably be insulting dad in defiance of his abuse.

_Crack!_

I've never even heard Len cry out or moan. I never understand how Len could pull that off.

_Thump!_

I winced as I imagined Len's form stumble to the ground. I never directly witnessed dad's beatings. Whenever I'd walk into the room Dad would stop and order me to leave.

It wasn't fair that Len was always the one Dad gave a hard time. It's not that Dad favored me over Len. Dad just wasn't comfortable with hitting a girl, even when he was drunk, especially when there was a perfectly fine boy in the household to inflict pain on.

It just wasn't fair.

"Incompetent piece of sh*t," I heard Dad mutter, a signal that he was done hurting Len, at least, until Len failed to meet dad's standards again.

In a few moments Len stumbled back into the kitchen. I turned around and looked into Len's sky blue eyes with my identical ones.

He read my expression before I had the chance to ask the question on my mind. "I'm fine, Rin."

"Your chin is bruised," I stated simply.

"… I fell in gym class today. It must be from that," Len responded coolly.

I felt like standing up and smacking him myself. I couldn't stand that Len always made up excuses like that. Len's intentions were good at heart, but pretending that everything was fine between him and Dad just made me even more worried. Living in denial never helps a situation; it only makes it worse.

I turned back to the mess that lay at my knees and angrily picked up a box of frozen pickles and shoved it on a shelf. Heck, I never even remembered buying frozen pickles. I didn't even know they existed. Who bought frozen pickles anyway? It seemed like an absolutely pointless thing to do.

After putting away a couple more bags of queer substances, the food was sorted back into the mysterious realms of the freezer.

I stood up, smoothed out my annoying skirt, grabbed an icepack out of the freezer, and joined Len at the circular wooden dining table that was crammed in the corner of the room. He'd already pulled out his homework and was furiously scribbling on the multiple sheets of paper spread out before him. I noticed Len's bruise was growing darker and starting to swell into a blotch of grey and dark purple.

"Here," I tossed the icepack onto a sheet of paper he was frowning at.

Len jumped, not expecting frozen projectiles thrown at him. "Oh, thanks." He scooped it up and pressed it against his bruise, wincing slightly as it made contact.

I was going to ask him if he was alright for the umpteenth time, before I caught myself. Instead I asked, "Do you need help with any homework?"

He grinned sheepishly at me. "Yeah, I have no idea what's going on in math."

I pulled a chair next to him and tried my best to help him through the problems our insanely crabby math teacher assigned us. We were both taking calculus, which wasn't normal for high school freshman. Len and I were the only kids in our grade taking calc, which was three years ahead of the usual 9th grade honors class.

Our mother was a math teacher, before she… she passed away. She taught us ahead in math. Len and I passed the required exams to skip grade levels in the subject. Lately, though, Len's grades have been dropping. I did my best to help him every night because I felt that it was my duty to keep him in the honors courses with me. I didn't want all of mom's hard work to have been in vain, and I'm sure Len didn't want that either.

Lately, though, Len's been sort of distant, especially at school. Ever since mom died, he cut himself off from everybody, keeping to himself and hardly talking. Len was always on the shy side, but never that extreme.

At first I thought it was just a phase, but it's been two years and Len has only gotten worse. In fact, according to Miku it took a month to get Len to respond to her, and even longer for him to speak in complete sentences. We've only known her for a couple months now.

I was worried about Len… but I probably was just overreacting.

Besides, even though Len avoided other people, he was still as close as ever to me. Actually, ever since Mom passed away, Len and I became much closer than we had been before. I was glad. Len could be really kind and sweet- not that I'd ever tell him that. He could also be really annoying.

I explained everything we learned in math class. Well, tried to. Dad called Len twice. The first time Dad just wanted Len to bring him a blanket, which, to my relief, didn't result in Dad's anger.

The second time, though, didn't end so well. Dad was already too far gone to need a reason to hurt Len. I buried my face in my hands as I heard Dad's punches and the barely intelligible insults that he was spitting at Len.

Flaming anger welled up inside me, all of it directed at dad. Why did he always do this every single weekend? Why did he take joy in Len's pain?

I don't know where Dad went during the week, but the only time we ever saw him was on weekends. He never came home during weekdays, only staying the evening of Friday to Sunday morning. We never asked him why; we were too scared that Dad would be angered by the question, and whenever Dad was mad, he took it out on Len.

This round of beating took longer than last time, and by the sound of it, was a lot more aggressive. There would only be more until dad either fell asleep or passed out from the alcohol. I shivered at the thought. I hated Fridays.

When Dad lost interest in Len, Len entered the kitchen. I kept my eyes glued to the table, in fear Len would tell me everything was fine again.

Nothing. Was. Fine.

"Rin, I'll be right back, I have to go to the bathroom."

"Okay." I looked up to examine Len. Aside from that bruise on his chin, he looked alright.

After he went off to do his business he took his seat beside me again, his attention focused back to his homework. "Rin, how do you solve this one?" Len's finger hovered over a problem near the bottom of the page. I scribbled the problem out on a separate sheet of paper, walking through it step by step. He asked questions, trying to figure out what I was doing.

"That makes sense," Len murmured once we were done. "I think I understand it now."

"Where would you be without me?" I teased.

Len opened his mouth to reply, but just then Dad called from the other room. "Len! Get your *ss over here!"

Len jumped up and rushed to the living room. "I'm hungry," I heard Dad complain. "Get me something to eat, will ya? Help out your poor old man for once. And bring me a couple more beers while you're at it."

"Yes sir," was Len's quiet reply.

He rushed back into the kitchen and reached under the sink where boxes of beer bottles were stacked. He dragged three bottles on the counter.

I jumped at the chance to help Len. "Here, I'll bring these to Dad."

I didn't wait for Len's approval, mainly because Len did everything in his power to keep me away from dad, but also because I felt bad burdening Len with all of Dad's dirty work.

I grabbed the drinks and brought them to Dad, who was sitting lifelessly on the couch, staring at the glowing TV screen. The sun was setting outside, and the screen glowed eerily in the semi-darkness.

Dad didn't even look at me, just continued to look straight ahead. "Thanks, hun." I set the bottles down on the side table, and I couldn't help but count the number of empty bottles. Twelve beers already. Usually dad didn't reach that many until ten or eleven o'clock, and it was only six o'clock.

"You're welcome!" I piped cheerfully, attempting to mask the boiling anger I felt, and joined Len back in the kitchen. He already had some noodles cooking on the stove.

The minute I stepped in the room Len turned on me. "Rin, what were you doing? You can't go in there!"

Telling me that only succeeded in urging me to defy him. "Why can't I?" I asked, annoyed. It wasn't like it was a written law, '_Rin Kagamine shall not stand in her father's line of sight'._

"You just can't!" Len responded sternly.

"I can do whatever I want!" I protested, agitated.

"Yeah, that doesn't mean I'll let you!"

"I don't need your permission! You can't tell me what to do! It's not like you're my mom!" The words escaped my mouth before I realized what I was saying.

An uncomfortable silence followed. Len's gaze softened,a world of hurt visible behind his eyes. "Sorry. I just don't want anything to happen to you." He turned back to the noodles he was cooking, flipped off the stove, and poured the excess water out of the pot.

I just stood there while he was mixing in the cheese powder to complete the dish of macaroni, feeling guilty. "I- I didn't mean it that way. It came out bad."

"It's alright, I shouldn't have freaked out on you like that, Len said, handing me a bowl of mac n' cheese.

I placed my bowl on the counter. "I'll bring Dad his," I told Len, my defiant side getting the better of me.

Len turned around and glared at me about to deny my request, but changed his mind, not wanting to prolong the argument further. "Whatever." He filled a bowl for dad and handed it to me.

I grabbed it and delivered it to the living room where dad was flipping through channels, searching for another game to watch. "Here, dad, I have your din-" My foot caught on the edge of the rug and I lurched forward unable to regain my balance. The bowl flew out of my hands as I hit the floor, and the gooey contents splattered on dad's face.

"S-s-sorry," I mumbled, seeing his face grow redder like a volcano about to erupt. And erupt it did.

He wiped the cheese off his face, got up, and wrenched me off the floor. I felt his greasy hands encircle my throat, his grip tightening and digging painfully into my skin. It happened so fast I didn't even have a chance to cry out.

I couldn't breathe. I tried wriggling out of dad's grasp, but he only squeezed my throat tighter. Black blotches throbbed in my eyesight, blocking my vision.

Red spots replaced the black, and I thrashed around wildly like a fish out of water, my lungs burning and starving for oxygen. "Len…"I somehow managed to croak hoarsely.

"You stupid klutz of a girl! Someone ought to teach you a lesson!" Dad hissed. The repulsive smell of beer clung to his breath. My head was throbbing, and all my senses seemed to cloud. I was so confused…

Len burst into the room, a shocked and wild expression plastered on his face. "Rin!"

His eyes locked on Dad's, the first time Len has made direct eye contact with him in over a year. A strange growl escaped Len's throat.

"Let go of her!" Len charged at dad, throwing a punch that hit him squarely in the nose. Dad instantly dropped me and groped at his face, clearly surprised at Len's outburst.

I fell to the ground and tried desperately to fill my lungs with air. My mind was still reeling.

Len actually stood up to Dad…?

Dad glared at Len so intensely, that if looks could kill, Len would have been vaporized ten times over. "You'll pay for that, you little brat," he threatened, clutching his bleeding nose.

Len just stood there frozen, and a look of realization crossed his face. I've never seen him go so pale.

I watched through my hazy vision as Dad threw punch after punch at Len, every single one of them hitting its mark. Len just stood expressionless, making no move of self-defense.

Tears stung my eyes watching it. I couldn't stand seeing Len jostled around like this; it was like he was Dad's rag doll to throw around and play with. The only hint of emotion I saw on Len's face was when he cast a worried expression in my direction, which was always when Dad wasn't looking directly at him.

When Len stumbled back from a punch to the gut and was knocked to the floor, Dad just started kicking him. The tears were flowing from my eyes so heavily now that everything was just a blur.

I wanted to help Len. I wanted to pull Dad away from Len's broken form, make him stop the torment he inflicted on Len. But I was just too scared.

The fear wrapped around me. It was the metal links that chained me to the ground. No matter how much I wanted to stand up and be the strong one, the links held me in place, only tightening every time I attempted to rise.

I was completely powerless.

"Len…" I whispered.

It was a long time before Dad lost interest in abusing Len, but thankfully, it came. He left Len trembling on the ground and turned back to me.

"Now to deal with the girl," he muttered.

I couldn't move. As Dad advanced toward me, every part of my instincts told me to flee, to go anywhere but here. But whatever connected my instincts to my motor response was paralyzed. I couldn't do anything but sit there, let the tears stream down my cheeks, and allow the flood of fear consume me.

Suddenly Len bolted up with more agility than I thought possible for someone beaten to the degree he was. Len ran past Dad, ducking when Dad lashed out at him, and reached me before Dad could. Not stopping for a second, Len took my hand and yanked me to a standing position, towing me behind him as he dashed for the house's entrance.

"Get back here!" Dad ordered, enraged.

His order went unheeded as Len swung open the front door and pushed me outside into a cold drizzle, the water droplets stinging my exposed skin as the wind pelted them down from the sky. "Run," Len whispered in my ear, and I would have done just that and ran for my life if I didn't notice Len staying behind.

Len stepped out onto the front porch with me, turning back to face the tiny hallway that led deeper into the house. Dad came barreling out the living room door, trying to stop us. Len didn't run, just stood his ground. Dad let an inhuman bellow, almost like a war cry.

Maybe if Dad was sober, he would have predicted what Len was going trying to do before he succeeded, but fifteen bottles of beer easily ruins one's forsight. Right before Dad pounced on Len, Len slammed the door in his face.

The loud thump and string of cussing told us all we needed to know. Len grabbed my hand again and ran down our house's concrete steps and onto the sidewalk that was long since overgrown with weeds. I was aware of the sound of rubber scraping pavement underneath our feet as our footsteps synchronized.

Dad threw open the door behind us, and in his drunken fury yelled after us, not caring who heard. "That's right! Run away! You're not welcome in my home!" He walked back into the house, slamming the door behind him.

Len and I didn't stop running until we reached the end of our block, gasping for air.

I burst into a more violent fit of tears, thankful that Len had saved me from Dad's wrath.

"Rin, everything's alright," Len whispered. His voice was trembling.

"Thank you," I let out between sobs.

"Rin, calm down," Len whispered in soothing voice. I tried to halt my tears, but only exploded into violent sobbing again.

When my tears finally died to a manageable level, I looked up at Len. "What are we going to do now?" I whispered.

"We'll-" Len began, then faltered. "I-I have no idea."

We stood there, on the sidewalk corner, in silence for a while. The only sounds audible were my tiny sobs I couldn't constrain and the occasional car passing by. Soon the gentle drizzle grew into a heavy rain. In a minute we were already completely soaked, which made it obvious that we wouldn't be able to stand on the sidewalk forever.

An idea struck me. "Len?"

"Hm?"

I relayed my plan to him. "I think we should go to Miku's house."

Len frowned, clearly not impressed with my idea. "What'll we tell her?"

"I don't know, but at least we'll be out of this freezing rain," I answered. "We don't really have any other place to go, and none of my other friends live nearby."

Len silently thought it over, and in the end reluctantly gave in. "All right."

We started walking, and I couldn't help but remember Len's frail form sitting on the ground, allowing dad to kick him without as much as a frown.

Just thinking about it made tears spring in my eyes.

Why did Len run out of the house _after_ he was beaten? My brother didn't have any common sense. Didn't he value his own life?

My tears streamed down my face once again. I wondered if I could cry myself dry, I was being such a crybaby today. Len glanced down at me with a concerned expression. He reached out again and gripped my cold hand with his own warm one.

I couldn't help but notice that even Len's hand was covered in a large black and blue bruise.

* * *

_"Each time I stare deeply into your eyes,_  
_Lines multiply in my body._  
_Each time my hand comes in contact with you,_  
_Your body is still wearing out."_

_~ Black Board, Papiyon_

* * *

**Finally updated! I had these chapters written out for a while now, my computer has just been giving me a lot of trouble with a virus that keeps trying to destroy my internet. -.- Ugh.**

**A special thanks to DelusionaLair, my new betareader! :D You should check out some of her stories, they're amazing~**

**Just because I'm too lazy to PM my reveiwers:**

**Catatonic Inspiration: I'm glad you like it! Here's some moooaar.**

**Mitsu: Haha, I hope you weren't too disappointed when they started in the third chapter. :P Seriously, though, I felt so bad for Len while writing this chapter...**

**Lizzie-rivers: Thanks! I hope you liked these chapters too!**


	4. Len: Scarred

**Len Kagamine**

My finger hovered over the doorbell, hesitant to reach out and press the button. Reluctantly I did, and then I heard the high-pitched chime go off inside the house.

How did Rin convince me that this was a good idea? I was standing there sopping wet, bloodied, and bruised in front of the house of the only girl at school that didn't treat me like a freak. I hoped Miku wasn't home so I would be spared of this embarrassment.

At least the rain washed away the blood stains. But my soaking wet clothes chaffed my wounds painfully, the rough fabric sending fiery pricks shooting up my body. It felt like I was undergoing self-combustion.

And then there was my hysterical sister wailing beside me. I was just worried about what Miku would think, I didn't blame Rin for sobbing so much. Nearly being choked by your own father could cause anyone to crack. If I had noticed a minute later, then Rin might not be here right now.

As wimpy as it sounds, that thought alone was enough to make me want to break down and cry with Rin. Without her I would be nothing. I didn't think she realized how much I needed her. I instinctively gripped Rin's hand tighter, ignoring the pain that shot up my bruised palm.

My hopes crashed and burned when Miku opened the door. A surprised expression crossed her face. "Oh! Hi Len, Rin. Why are you here?"

I was nervous. What if Miku wouldn't let us stay for the night? What if she thought it was weird to ask? What if she noticed my bruises? Would she think I was strange? Everyone else thought so...

"Miku, do you think me and Rin can stay the night? Our father is off on a business trip, he'll be home tomorrow, but I guess we forgot to bring a house key with us to school and we're locked out."

"Oh, sure! It'll be just like a sleepover! I'll need to check with mom, but I'm sure she'll let you stay!" Miku clasped her hands together, excited. "Here, you can come inside. And stop crying, Rin, we'll have fun!"

Rin sniffled in response, wiping the tears away with her sweater sleeve, which only succeeded in making her face wetter, since her clothes were as soaked as mine. "Okay."

Miku led us indoors, shutting the door behind us. Her mom came down the stairs, dragging a vacuum cleaner behind her. "Miku, who's this?" She had shoulder-length teal hair, which is where I assumed Miku got her unusual hair genetics.

"These are my friends Rin and Len! You know, the twins," Miku told her.

"Oh, hi, Rin and Len!" Her mother greeted an eerily similar chirpy voice that Miku had.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Hatsune," Rin said politely.

"Mom, is it okay if Rin and Len stay for the night?" Miku asked. "They're locked out of their house and their dad is away on a business trip."

"Sure! Miku, can you show them to the guest room?"

"Okay. Guys, follow me." Miku led us through a well-furnished kitchen, down a spacious hallway decorated with family photos, and opened the doorway at the very end of the hall.

The room was small, but comfortable. There was a single bed placed in the corner of the room, a night table decked with a lamp and alarm clock, and a window draped in sky blue curtains.

"Our cousins in America visit often, so we set aside a room where they can sleep," Miku explained. "I'll go track down a sleeping bag for one of you. Fight over who gets the bed while I'm gone," Miku joked, then left.

Rin and I stood there in silence for a while. "This is awfully nice of Miku," Rin finally said.

"Yeah," I said. More silence. I tried to think of something to talk about."She…has a nice house."

"No, we just have a crappy one," Rin responded. I nodded in agreement, though I _had _been trying to be optimistic.

Miku came back, a sleeping bag and a stack of clothes in her arms. She dropped the items on the bed.

"Here, I found you guys some pajamas. Rin, I found some of my old ones that are too small for me now." Miku handed Rin a set of yellow PJ's lined with pink lacing. "Len, you'll have to make do with some of Dad's pajamas. They'll be really big on you." She handed me plaid flannel pajamas with drawstring pants and a button up shirt. "You guys can take a shower and change out of those wet clothes."

"Len, do you want to go first?" Rin asked.

"Sure."

"The bathroom is right across from this room," Miku informed me.

"Thanks."

"No prob."

I took my newly adopted pajamas and walked to the bathroom, locking the door behind me. It felt weird taking a shower in someone else's house.

I scrubbed the blood off my body the best I could, but my wounds kept bleeding. Once I finished taking my shower I stepped out of the curtains and examined my wounds on the mirror that was mounted on the wall.

Fresh bruises were engraved into my skin, and the healing cuts from previous weekends were reopened again.

Today wasn't so bad. Sometimes Dad would pull out his leather belt and use it like a whip. And sometimes Dad would take out his pocket knife and slash at my flesh, cutting and scarring my back. As far as I knew, Rin wasn't aware of that tactic Dad used, and I did my best to hide it from her. Thankfully, he didn't touch his blade this week.

I picked up my wet undershirt and stripped stained rectangles of gauze from its interior, trying to salvage what I could to cover my worst wounds. I pulled my damp undershirt back on and hesitantly pulled on the pajamas Miku provided me with. I didn't have any new bandages, and I didn't want the blood soaking through my undershirt and staining her dad's pajamas. I didn't have much of a choice, though.

I grabbed my wet clothes and went back to our designated room. Miku and Rin were busy chatting away about the latest fashions and other equally girly topics. They saw me enter the room and turned toward me.

"Hey! You look a lot like Rin with your hair down!" Miku exclaimed.

I blushed in embarrassment and shoved my hair back nervously. Miku sensed my discomfort and quickly added, "But more masculine. Don't worry, I think it looks cute!"

"He's my adorable little brother, of course he looks cute," Rin joined in. "Besides, if he looks like me, I should hope it's cute..." Miku laughed lightly in response.

I cleared my throat uncomfortably. Attempting to change the topic, I held out my wet clothes. "Um, what should I do with these?"

"Oh, just leave them on the ground. I'll take them when I leave so my mom can wash them for tomorrow," Miku answered.

Rin grabbed her pajamas and hopped off the bed which she had been sprawled on beside Miku. "I guess I'll take my shower now." She left, leaving Miku and I alone.

"Stop standing there, silly. Sit down," Miku said, motioning to the spot on the edge of the bed that Rin had occupied.

I obeyed and settled down next to her a bit stiffly.

Miku looked at me. "So, mind telling me where that bruise came from?"

"Oh," I reached up to my chin. I'd hoped Miku wouldn't notice it, but it was hard to miss. "I tripped and fell in gym class."

"It looks nasty. I could get my dad to look at it when he gets home. He's a doctor- er, actually a surgeon- but he might know a way to heal it faster."

"No, that's alright," I mumbled.

Just then a tiny boy entered the room. He had short teal hair the same color as Miku's and looked to be about five years old. "Hi," he greeted shyly.

"Mikuo! Come here!" Miku held out her arms and the boy ran into them. Miku picked him up and placed him on her lap.

I raised an eyebrow at Miku. "I didn't know you had a little brother."

"Oh, I never mentioned him? This is Mikuo, and Mikuo this is Len."

Mikuo yawned cutely and reached up to tug at my sleeve. "I'm four n' a half years old! How old are you?"

"I'm fourteen," I replied.

"Hey! My sis' is fifteen! Are you guys in different grades?"

"No," Miku responded, giggling. "Len's just mature for his age."

"Oh, okay," Mikuo said, as if that made perfect sense. "He looks kinda girly."

Miku giggled again. "That's just because he has his hair down. He usually pulls it back."

I pouted. "What is this, pick-on-Len's-hair day?"

Miku punched my arm good-naturedly. "You know we love you, Len."

I winced and tried not to show that Miku's playful punch had hurt; she had hit a bruise.

Rin skipped into the room, dropping her sopping wet clothes into a heap with mine. "I'm back! Now the party can start!" She noticed Mikuo. "Hey, who's this cute little guy?" she cooed.

"I'm Mikuo!"

"Hi Mikuo! I'm Rin!" Rin settled herself down on the bed between Miku and me.

"You look like Len!" Mikuo observed.

"We're twins," Rin explained, smiling. "A lot of people say we look similar."

"I wanna twin too!"

Rin laughed. "Maybe you'll find one someday."

"C'mon Mikuo, it's your bed time," Miku said, standing up.

"Aw, but I wanna talk to Len and Rin!"

"You'll get a chance to tomorrow." Mikuo slid off the bed and grasped Miku's outstretched hand. As Miku walked out the door, Mikuo looked back at us and waved. "Good night guys!"

"Mikuo is so adorable!" Rin squealed once Miku and her brother were out of earshot.

I rolled my eyes. "Your nose is bleeding."

"Oh, shut up."

"Hey Rin and Len, can I get you guys anything?" Mrs. Hatsune appeared in the doorway. "Dinner? Anything?"

"That's okay, Mrs. Hatsune. We stopped by a fast-food place earlier," Rin lied.

"Oh. Do you guys want to call your father and tell him everything is alright?" She prompted.

"No, we already called him with my cell phone," Rin responded, which was a complete lie since Rin and I didn't own any cell phones.

"Alright. If you need anything else, just holler! Lights out at eleven!" She left, leaving us to bicker about Rin's shotacon attitude.

Soon Miku came back, after having changed into her pajamas, and we chatted the rest of the night. Well, mostly Miku and Rin did. All too soon it was eleven and Mrs. Hatsune chased Miku off to bed.

"So…Len, you can have the bed, I guess," Rin suggested.

"No, I'll take the sleeping bag," I told her. It's not like I would be sleeping comfortably either way.

"I insist."

"No, I do."

"Are you sure?" Rin asked.

"Yeah, I don't really care," I replied.

Rin jumped into the silken sheets, pulling the covers over her head. "Don't wake me up in the morning."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't worry, I will," I said, causing her to pout in response.

I switched off the lamp and crawled into my sleeping bag, settling down on the hard ground. "Goodnight, Rin," I murmured.

"'Night Len," She whispered back.

I tossed and turned, trying to find a position that wouldn't irritate my wounds too much. I hated trying to sleep; lying down shot fiery waves of pain up my body. It would be convenient for me if I could sleep while standing.

I found a semi-comfortable position on my side and closed my eyes, fully prepared for another sleepless night. Unlike Rin who winked out like a light once her head hit the pillow, it could take hours for me to slip into unconsciousness.

Already Rin started to snore quietly, her rhythmic breathing washing over me and gently soothing my mind. For some reason the familiar sound always comforted me. I tried to sleep, I really did, but instead my thoughts kept churning in my head, preventing sleep from easing my mind.

I was still awake when, a couple hours later, I heard Rin gasp and shift causing the bed to creak. She was breathing heavily, as if she just ran a marathon.

"Rin, are you awake?" I asked quietly, straining my eyes to peer through the faint moonlight that streamed in through the window.

For a while there was no answer, and when I was about to assume I was mistaken, she whispered back. "Yeah."

She was still breathing heavily. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just had a bad dream," she whispered.

We laid there in silence for a while, and I assumed she dozed off again. I turned in my sleeping bag, facing Rin's bed to find her form shaking under the covers. "Hey… do you want to talk about it?" I asked softly.

"No, that's okay." Her voice was trembling, proof that whatever she dreamt had really scared her.

I slid out of the sleeping bag and tiptoed across the floor, seating myself down on the edge of her bed. "Rin, tell me what's wrong. Something must be bothering you."

Rin sat up, placing her hands on my shoulder in attempt to push me away. "No, no, I'm fine. Go back to sleep."

"Rin..."

"Len, learn to take 'no' as an answer," She whispered forcefully, turning away from me so that her face was hidden behind thick strands of blond hair.

"You sound terrible," I tried to meet her eyes, but her stare flitted away. "Did you have the same nightmare again?" I asked in a whisper.

Silence hung in the air, blanketing us both. Finally Rin slumped her shoulders in defeat. "Yeah…"

"You know, it might make you feel better to talk about it," I suggested, immediately earning a sigh from her.

"Len, we've already been through this…"

Lately Rin has been waking up from dreams so bad that she hasn't gotten a good night's sleep in a couple months. I haven't succeeded in coaxing any information out of her about the subject, except for the fact it's the same vision every night. At first she woke up screaming, sometimes crying out my name, hysterically rambling unintelligible sentence. As time went on, though, she seemed to grow slightly more accustomed to it and stopped her dramatic wakings, but I could still tell it bothered her.

I was worried about her. I really was. It also didn't help that Rin had cried so much earlier; Rin wasn't usually so pathetic- I haven't seen her cry as severely as she did today since the time mom died...

No, don't think like that.

"Rin? Why don't you ever want to tell me about the dream?" I inquired. Rin doesn't usually like to hold things in.

"I- I just can't," she mumbled.

"Rin," I pleaded, "You know you can trust me. I hate seeing you like this nearly every night. I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but I want to help- I can't if I don't know what you're so afraid of."

Rin silently stared down at her lap, biting her lower lip. "Len, I know you mean well, but you can't change my dreams," She murmured.

She was right. But I still would've tried. For her.

After a while she lifted off her covers and scooted to the edge of the bed, seating herself beside me. She hugged her knees to her chest and stared at her feet. "Len... I-I just miss mom sometimes. If she was still here, Dad would be nice like he used to, and he wouldn't h-hurt you..." Rin trailed off, her weak voice tugging at my heart. At least Rin still cared about me.

"Rin, stop worrying about me. I'm fine," I whispered.

She turned her head in my direction, her eyes meeting mine in a forceful stare. "No, Len, you're not," she stated solidly, an edge of annoyance hinted under her concerned tone.

I held the gaze and stared into her blue eyes that seemed to glow in the dark room. I wasn't sure how to convince her I didn't mind dad's abuse. "Yes, I am," I responded with even stubbornness.

How could I ever express to Rin how much it hurt, the constant pain that engulfed my body when I so much as walked, moved, or even breathed? How could I ever tell her that I'd forgotten what it felt like to be woundless after over a year of dad's weekly beatings? How could I ever show her all the marks he left; the bloodied, shredded flesh that lay under my clothes, the bruises that decorated my body like some kind of Picasso, the scars that were forever engraved in my skin as painful reminders of how useless I was, all the wounds that shattered me beyond any hope of repair?

And how could I ever convey to her how much I appreciated these wounds I've collected, knowing that every punch I took, every kick I withstood, every blow I received, all of it was to protect her?

Rin reached up and gently pressed her fingertips against the bruise on my chin, the simple action sending bolts of pain to my sensory nerves. She pulled away almost instantly, as if detecting my discomfort. She turned her attention back to her toes.

After a while she took a shaky breath, "It was the alcohol that ruined him."

I nodded silently. Dad used to be as caring as you'd expect of any father, but that was before Mom died and he resorted to alcohol to relieve his sadness. It wasn't bad at first, when he only drank about a bottle a day, but that's how all addictions start.

He increasingly drank more and more, and the limit escalated to about three bottles a day. When he first lost his job it rose to six. Once he found another job and was fired a month later, he completely lost it. That was around the time dad stopped talking to us entirely, moved us to our current neighborhood of residence, and began leaving us by ourselves for weekdays on end.

We still had no idea where he stayed, or what his current job was, if he even had one. The only thing we knew is that he still, miraculously, paid for our taxes and bills. And the stock of beer that piled up in our garage. Rin's job as a waitress (barely) paid for all the commodities Rin and I needed.

That was also around when dad began being violent. He lost his temper easily, blaming us for stupid stuff. I hated when he spat at Rin, accusing her of things that weren't in the least her fault. I learned too discretely redirect his anger at Rin to myself, which wasn't hard considering I was always the one being stupid. Pretty soon I was the nasty bad boy to scream at.

Then beat.

But that was okay. I deserved it.

Rin shifted slightly, chewing the bottom of her lip with renewed anxiety. "Len," she whispered softly. I craned my neck closer to her to show that I was listening. "Sometimes I-I think maybe we sh-should, um, you know, t-tell somebody-"

I was alarmed at the mere suggestion. "No! Don't even think of that!" I exclaimed, before remembering it was the middle of the night and I shouldn't wake the Hatsunes. I lowered my voice, still feeling frantic. "Rin, you know that isn't an option! They'd send us to foster homes! We'd be split up! And- and-" my voice cracked.

"At least you'd be safe," she murmured timidly, drooping slightly. "And... they might not split us up."

"No! Don't even consider it! Rin, that's the stupidest suggestion I ever heard!"

I realized too late that I was being too harsh. She turned away, an expression of hurt crossing her face. "I- I'm sorry," I apologized, guilt weighing down my heart. "I shouldn't be so harsh… it's just... I just can't risk losing you," I whispered, struggling to find the right words.

We sat in silence, neither of us making any move to continue the conversation. Eventually Rin turned back to me, "L-Len?" Rin's eyes met mine, the blue orbs reflecting a pool of emotions, feelings I recognized all too well. This was the side of Rin nobody else saw; the weak, fragile Rin that could break to pieces with the slightest touch. I understood what she was feeling. Maybe it was what some considered twin telepathy and that nonsense, but I knew Rin well enough to read her like a book- as long as she was willing to open the cover. She was worried, frustrated, but above all… afraid. For me. "Can you promise me something?" She asked softly, averting her gaze.

"Hm?"

"Promise t-to never leave me," her voice dropped to a hardly audible level, her cheeks flushing a faint shade of pink.

I was silent for a while, wondering why she would request that. Rin mistook my silence as disapproval. "I-I'm sorry if that sounds weird-"

"I promise," I finally spoke up. "I'll never leave your side."

The corners of her mouth raised in a timid smile. "I promise to never leave you either."

I was glad to see her smile. Rin was always so kind, and I could never grasp how she managed to put up with me. I was her freaky, stupid, socially-awkward brother. I was empty and utterly useless. Why didn't she hate me? She somehow still cared about me. The way she always helped me, went out of her way to spend time with me, did her best to support me whenever Dad caused trouble- I really appreciated it. I really did.

She made me feel... complete, human. I needed her. I couldn't lose her.

Ever.

Rin hesitated, then looked into my eyes. "Len… I'm glad you're my brother. I couldn't have asked for anyone better."

Did she really mean that? I felt like such a terrible brother most of the time, her claim seemed preposterous. I lowered my head, attempting to hide the smile that threatened to splay across my mouth. "Thank you," I managed to choke out in a whisper. "I'm lucky you're my sister."

Neither of us spoke, but neither of us wanted to pull away. I don't know how long we stayed sitting there, being comforted by our closeness, but it could have been a few minutes or hours. Finally Rin yawned and rubbed her eyes, uncurling her legs. "Well, we should probably get some sleep." She pulled herself back from the edge of the bed and crawled under the covers, bringing the blanket up to her ears. "Goodnight Len," she whispered, sinking into her pillow.

I flashed her a tiny smile. "Sweet dreams." I hopped off the bed and settled back into my sleeping bag, ignoring the pain arcing through my back.

Almost immediately I heard the faint sound of her gentle breathing, and I knew she had already fallen asleep. I smiled in spite of myself. Rin was my whole world. It sounded stupid, but other than her I really had no one to depend on. I trusted her. I knew she'd come through with her promise, and I'd do my best with mine.

Just before my heavy eyelids closed, dropping me off in a deep slumber, I quietly repeated my promise, though I knew Rin wasn't awake to hear.

"I'll never leave you..."

* * *

"The one who can heal my scars is you.  
It's fine if you don't hug me tight.  
Be grasping my hand tightly forever."

~ Lastear, AVTechNO!

* * *

**Thank you to anyone who has read, favorited, followed, or reviewed! I love you guys! ;)**

**Lizzy '-' rocks: I know, it's so sad what happens to Len! D: I'm so harsh on him, haha. Thanks for the compliment, I try to make realistic characters, but I usually think they turn out overdramatic. xD I'm glad it's working!**

**SilverLocketX3: Haha, me and my brother don't get along like this either. Rin and Len are just impossibly attached to each other. And yeah, Rin needs to man up! :P**

**Mitsu: You read the third chapter first? xD The second chapter is a filler chapter, anyway. And that's actually why I wrote it in Rin's point of view, I thought she would make a bigger deal about it than Len would have. Things will get better, I promise, just... maybe not as soon as you'd like. **

**Girl In RandomLand: Here you go! Thanks for reading! :)**


	5. Rin: Envied

**Rin Kagamine**

"Wakey Wakey," I heard Len taunt.

I groaned and buried my face deeper into the warmth of my nice, comfy pillow. "Just a couple more minutes," I muttered, the sheets muffling my words. Something fell onto the other end of the bed, launching my side up. "Kyaaaa!" I was jolted out of my blissful slumber. Len would pay for this.

I lifted my head up to cast a groggy glance behind me, only to find Len smiling innocently, plopped on the bed right next to my feet. "If you don't wake up we'll be late for school."

"Get. Off. My. Bed." I seethed, kicking my feet at him. He smirked and dodged my flailing without difficulty. I collapsed back into my pillow. "Fine, but tomorrow I'm sleeping in."

Len stood up, stretching lazily. "Whatever you say, Sleeping Beauty."

"Ewwwww, don't call me that."

"You're right, 'Sleeping Ugly' would be more fitting." His comment was met with a pillow hurled to his face.

"Baka-Len." I grumbled, swinging my legs to the floor.

"I made breakfast, so come eat when you're ready," Len informed me, flashing me a small smile as he closed our bedroom door behind him.

Ugh, how I hate Mondays.

* * *

"Rinny!" My friend Miki instantly clobbered me in a bear hug and dragged me away from Len. I turned to wave at him over my shoulder, and stumbled as Miki dragged me through the crowded school hallways.

"Geez, Miki, you're pretty hyper today," I noticed.

Miki grinned like a psychopath. "I know~ I had an iced latte this morning!"

"Great. We're all doomed," I muttered under my breath. Miki yanked on my arm and plowed through a particularly thick barricade of students, leaving me to distribute apologies as we went.

"GUMI!" Miki slammed into a locker door, throwing me off balance. I fell to a sitting position beside an equally-as-shocked Gumi.

"Miki! I was trying to drag my books out of my locker!" Gumi complained, brushing lose strands of her green hair back into place. "You almost slammed the door into my face!"

"Red-head here had an unhealthy dose of caffeine this morning," I warned. Gumi stared at me, horrified.

"Oh, sorry Gumi, I was just so excited to see you!" Miki exclaimed, ignoring my comment. "Hey, Rin, the results of the student council elections are announced today, right?"

I let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, I hope I made it on-"

"Of course you made it, Rin!" Gumi interrupted.

"Yeah! Everyone loves you!" Miki supported. "You're also, like, the smartest kid in school!"

My face burned. "I wouldn't say that…"

Again, Miki chose to ignore me. "And because you're so studious, you probably finished Sensei Hiyama's homework last night, right?"

I groaned. "Miki, you had the whole weekend to finish it."

Miki shot me a pleading expression. "Please Rinny?"

Why was it impossible to resist Miki's puppy-dog eyes? "Fine." I grumbled. "I'll give you the answers at lunch."

"Thank you! Rinny, you're the best~" Miki attacked me in another hug, this time tackling me to the ground.

"Miki!" I tried not to laugh at her childishness, but failed miserably. "Get off of me!"

"Don't worry Rin, Gumi's here to save the day!" She yanked Miki away from me and shot me a wry smile. "I can't wait until her caffeine-high crashes."

The first bell pierced the air. I stood up, smoothing the wrinkles in my clothes by habit. "We better get to class."

Miki jumped up, an excited grin plastered on her face. "Yay! I love science class~" She ran down the hall, gaining dirty looks from the people she was colliding with.

"So, since when does she like science?" Gumi asked, both of us stifling our giggles.

* * *

I located my desk near the middle of the room and sat down, dumping my school bag next to my feet. I swear, those textbooks were made of lead.

I scanned the room and noticed Neru Akita, whose seat was directly behind mine. Her long blond hair was pulled into her signature side ponytail, and she fiddled with her yellow cell phone which was constantly glued to her hand. She was one of the most popular girls in our grade, and I'd heard rumors that her parents were the head of a multi-million dollar corporation. She was pretty nice, so I sometimes struck a conversation with her.

I turned around in my seat to face her. "Hey, Neru. You excited to find out who made student council?"

She peered over her phone and smiled at me. "You bet!" She was one of the twelve students, including myself, that had applied. The elections where last Friday. "Do you think you made it, Rin?"

"I hope so," I responded, but I wasn't about to get my hopes up.

The late bell clanged, and our teacher stood up in front of the class, calling for our attention. "Well, good luck," I told her, turning around to focus on what the teacher was saying.

I vaguely heard Neru mumble confidently behind me. "I don't need luck."

"… As you all know, the student council election results are in, and the principal will make the announcement, soon, regarding the winners…"

As if on cue, the intercom crackled to life, the principal's voice bellowing over the speakers. "Good morning, students of Yamaha High School! Today is a very special day! The results are in, and the classmates that _you_ voted for will take office!" The principal began rambling off the names of upperclassman winners, and I swung my legs back and forth in my chair anxiously.

What if I didn't make it? I worked so hard placing posters around school grounds, planning those speeches, brainstorming ideas to improve Yamaha, and even arranging a fundraiser bake sale for our school in the cafeteria. What if it wasn't enough to win my classmates over? I'm sure they'd rather choose someone popular, like Neru, over me…

"Now onto the first-year results!" The principal announced. I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed I'd at least won enough votes to be the treasurer or vice president. "The treasurer is… Miku Hatsune!" I smiled, in spite of myself. Of course Miku made it. "And the title of vice president goes to… Piko Utatane!" I instantly heard an explosion of whispers and giggling as girls swooned over the class heartthrob.

My heart fell. There was no way I was president. The title was going to Neru for sure. "And the president is…"

"…"

"…"

Okay, just say the name already. The winner is obvious.

"… Rin Kagamine! Congratulations to all the fine contestants that participated this year, and have a great day, students of Yamaha!" With that the speakers clicked off, leaving me gaping. I almost fell out of my chair.

The class broke into a fit of cheers, causing my cheeks to burn. People were throwing congratulations at me, but I was still too shocked to respond. The teacher clapped her hands, signaling for the class's attention. She flashed me a smile. "Congratulations, Ms. Kagamine. I'm sure you'll make a fine president," she said, then turned to the chalkboard to begin the lesson.

I cast a glance over my shoulder and saw Neru glaring daggers at the speaker. I suddenly felt bad. "Hey, I'm sorry you didn't make it," I whispered to Neru, displaying my most sympathetic expression, just to show I wasn't trying to be rude.

Her eyes flitted to me, then focused on her phone. "Whatever, Kagamine."

* * *

"New customers at table four!"

"I'm on it! I hollered over the noisy restaurant chatter, scooping up a steak dish and placing it on my platter. I weaved around customers, expertly balancing my plates, and placed the dishes on each customer's table. Once I dropped off every meal I whipped out my notepad and headed toward table four.

"Hi guys! I didn't expect to see you here!" I greeted the customers. Neru was seated in the booth, along with two of the friends I saw her with often. I rummaged through my brain to grasp their names; Teto was the girl with hot pink hair drills, and the girl with long silvery hair paired with crimson eyes was Haku.

The three wanted milkshakes, so I rushed to the kitchen and passed the order to the cooks. IA, a college-aged waitress who preferred to be called by her initials, accidentally bumped into me while delivering her notepad. "Oh, sorry Rin, I didn't see you."

I pouted teasingly. "What, am I too short?"

She smiled. "Yes, you're our tiny wittle Rin-chan," she said, patting down my bow.

Seriously, why did people keep doing that? Respect the bow.

"Hey, Rin, do you know those girls at table four?" IA asked.

"Yeah, why?"

IA chewed on her lower lip. "Uh, no reason. It's pretty crowded tonight," IA commented, changing the subject.

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I can't wait until my shift ends. Oh, there's my milkshakes!" I rushed off to claim the order, placing the glasses carefully on my tray. Drinks were always the hardest to carry.

I pushed my way out of the kitchen doors and carted the shakes to Neru's table. "Here's your drinks!" I said cheerfully once I was near their seating. I pulled one of the cups off the tray to place by them.

Suddenly the pink-haired girl shot out her leather high-heeled boot. I didn't register its presence until it was too late. My feet snagged her leg, and I was thrown off balance, crashing to the ground with my tray sprawled out before me.

My entire blouse was soaked by the sticky liquid, and the glasses lay in broken shards around me. The entire restaurant paused to stare. My face burned in shame. This was really embarrassing...

Neru and her friends began laughing, so I forced myself to laugh along good-naturedly, though it sounded slightly strained. I stood and lifted the still-intact tray, attempting to regain my composure. "Well, I guess I'll have to get you more shakes-"

Neru stood up, still chuckling. "No, I think I'll be going. Thanks for the entertainment, Kagamine." She stalked out of the restaurant, the two girls following closely on her heels.

I stared at them in disbelief, then pushed aside my astonishment and headed back to the kitchen, still a bit flustered. IA was waiting on the other side of the door. "What's all the commotion- oh." She stared at my sopping clothes.

I half coughed, half cleared my throat. "There's a spill next to table four. I need to clean it up."

IA stared at me a bit strangely. "Those girls didn't cause it, did they?"

I thought back to what Neru had said. "Uh, yeah, but they were just playing around."

"I don't know, Rin, I heard them talking about you when I passed their table. They didn't sound very fond of you."

"I'm sure that's not it," I mumbled. "Neru and I are friends..."

IA just shrugged. "Alright. But you look terrible. Are you sick?" I reached up and pressed my hand against my burning cheek.

"No, just a little embarrassed," I admitted.

IA flashed me a kind smile. "Hey, why don't you go home early and get a fresh change of clothes. I'll cover for you."

I opened my mouth to protest... but I really didn't want to show my face to the customers after what happened. "Alright. Thanks a bunch, IA, I owe you."

"No, Rin, you don't owe me anything. Just go home and get some rest, okay?"

I nodded my thanks and gathered my sweater and book bag. "Bye IA. See you soon," I said, then pushed past the rows of countertops, reaching the employee entrance. I stepped out into the alleyway, the cool breeze whipping my shoulder-length hair. The sun had already set, but a full moon hung in the sky giving me enough light to see clearly. I made my way out of the alley and into the string of lit street lamps, tugging my bag higher on my shoulder as I began my journey home.

I started picking at my shirt absentmindedly. How was I going to get these chocolate stains out? I'm sure Len wouldn't be thrilled to hear I'd have to buy a new waitress uniform. We were already low on money...

I thought back to Neru. I hated to think it, but I couldn't shake the feeling that they tripped me on purpose. Maybe she was mad at me for being elected student council president? She didn't strike me as the backstabbing type. She'd probably forget about it in a day or two.

...Right?

* * *

**Looks like my beta reader is on hiatus at the moment, so I'll go back and fix things later. Probably not my best chapter... but I wrote this at 4:45 in the morning, so I have an excuse. xD No quote this time.**

**Note: ****Milkshake aka thick shake aka frappe in other countries, according to Wikipedia. (Don't even ask why I looked it up in the first place. I do strange things when procrastinating.)**

**Girl In RandomLand: OH NO.  
THERE'S A LEN FANGIRL IN OUR MIDST.  
EVERYBODY HIDE! :P Haha, kidding, Len ****_is_**** adorable~**

**Violet-rash: Sorry, I prefer dead fanfiction. :P (In other words, I most likely won't be adding romance to this, sorry! :( )**

**long long ago: *pinches cheeks along with you* They're so cuuuuute! And I love sibling fluff, though RinxLen is my favorite pairing, too. They're just so cute they have to be together, somehow. :3  
I love your fanfictions, by the way, you should write more!**

**Guest: Here's an update for you! :D**


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